Is Gordon Hensley Part of Bat Boy Conspiracy?!
While
I conducted my interview with Gordon Hensley about the upcoming play Bat
Boy: The Muscial, I was left with a slight unease about him and his possible
ties to the real Bat Boy that appears frequently in the trusted and reliable
news source Weekly World News.
Hensley himself admitted to me that he “has been a fan since 90-something,” and has original copies of many issues of Weekly World News in which Bat Boy makes the front page. He even owns the original issue that describes the world’s first contact with Bat Boy.
Bat Boy has never been seen in Boone, though in August 1997 he was seen in Charlotte, when he allegedly scared several campers and attacked three separate police officers, eating one’s finger.
Batgirl!? Batboys concubine or local myth? You be the judge!
During our interview Hensley, through slyly-slitted eyes, made a vague hint at a future Bat Boy sighting in Boone. When I pushed the issue further, he became visibly uncomfortable and provided no further comment. He also claims to have no knowledge Shout’s favorite local legend: Bat Girl.
Will the real Bat Boy make an appearance in Boone? Is ASU faculty member Gordon Hensley connected to the powers that keep Bat Boy at large? Will Bat Boy find love that does not break boundaries across species with the local Bat Girl? Does anyone even remember Bat Girl’s appearance on a very old flyer of a local underground gallery? Most importantly: When will these questions end?
Shoutmag.net will certainly keep the public posted about any developments
concerning the previous questions. Tune in after the performance to the
same Bat Time at the same Bat Place.
BAT BOY CONFIRMED!
ASU’s theatre department will pay homage to Weekly World News’ favorite chiropterian, Bat Boy, April 18 through 22 by performing the cult-comedy Bat Boy: The Musical. Gordon Hensley, director of the play, promises that the musical will “be unlike anything this town has ever seen.”
Bat
Boy: The Musical will be presented in ASU’s Valborg Theatre. Nightly
shows from Wednesday, April 18 through Saturday, April 21 start at 8 p.m.,
with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 22. Tickets are $10 for adults and
$6 for students.
The play premiered at Tim Robbins’ Actor Gang’s Theatre on Halloween, 1997. It has since been produced off-Broadway and at several universities and high schools across the nation. The musical has won Best Off-Broadway musical by taking both the Lucille Lortel Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award in 2001. The play has won awards at the regional level as well, and has proved very popular in both Korea and Japan.
A West Virginian mining town provides the backdrop for the production, as Bat Boy struggles to fit in with his Cleaver-esque family. His major conflict comes from trying to find balance between his inner man and beast. A love story develops, people are raped and killed, and the entire town sings about it from beginning to end.
Bat Boy: The Musical was written to survive the legendary cut-throat competition of Off-Broadway theatre in New York City. It combines elements of blood and guts, cult-campy comedy, classic musical theatre and Jeckyl- and Hyde-like themes, and a live rock band to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible.
Hensley describes the play as a story about “otherness,” and points out that “the different ones” will likely find meaning behind all of the madness. The play is not all about violence and singing, Hensley promises, as it explores the “beastly moments that everyone has.”
While there are some elements that are universally appealing, it is important to note that this production is not suitable for children, as it contains “actors in aisles, strobe lights, loud noises and disturbing imagery.”
Logistically, the play has presented some challenges. The team that is making the magic happen consists of 40 people, mostly students and some staff/faculty. The live band presented problems as did creating a dental piece (Bat Boy’s gotta have fangs) that did not interfere with singing.
Henlsey points to the fake blood as being particularly difficult: “It’s tough to get it the right consistency.” When asked what the secret was, he responded, “I’ll never tell. Theatre secret.”
If you find this madness as appealing as we do, make sure to get your tickets in advance. It is not uncommon for shows such as this to sell out, and Hensley predicts that many people will want to see it twice.
“The show has a real pulse—one that everyone [will be] excited to sink their teeth into,” Hensley promises.
Related Links
ASU department of Theatre and Dance